Armed robbers Kris Wells and Mark Penney have each been jailed for more than four years

by Paul Hooper

Detectives who went to the home of an Ashford man on routine inquiries were surprised to see two people fleeing down a fire escape.

The officers had spoken to Mark Penney via the intercom at his home in Watercress Lane – not realising he had taken part in an armed robbery minutes earlier.

Penney, 22, and 24-year-old friend Kris Wells were members of a masked gang who had raided the Co-op Store in Brook Court armed with axes.

Allister Walker, prosecuting, told Canterbury Crown Court it was just coincidence the officers wanted to speak to Penney on another matter.

But as Penny and Wells, of Crundale Close, tried to escape they dumped boxes linking them to the Co-op raid that had taken place just 20 minutes earlier.

And inside Penney's flat, police discovered boiler suits, makeshift balaclavas, masks and an axe used during the robbery.

The pair admitted robbery and were each jailed for 52 months.

The total amount of cash stolen is unknown and the third man has never been found.

Mr Walker told how on April 28 this year there were three members of staff at the store when the three burst in.

He said: "It was 8.50pm and it was very quiet in the store. There were no customers in there. Team leader Kesha Cox was at the tills when she heard a voice saying: 'Come on boys, let's get the money.'

"Her colleague Jamie Hurst, who was working on newspapers, then heard: 'Don't move'. They then became aware that three men had entered the store, each armed with an axe, their faces covered and all carrying rucksacks," he said.

The robbers then leapt over the counter swinging the weapons at the till and grabbed cash boxes.

Mr Walker said the three staff members were terrified and retreated – but not before Ms Cox bravely activated the alarm, before going to the back of the store with Mr Hurst and Sarah Dolby.

The three robbers then stole a tray of cigarettes and what they believed were cash boxes – but just contained receipts.

Twenty minutes later, two officers arrived "by coincidence" at Penny’s home just half-a-mile from the store.

"i wonder if you ever stop thinking about yourselves for a second and think what it must have been like to have been in that shop facing three masked men each carrying an axe…” – judge james o'mahoney

"They rang the intercom to speak to Penney on a matter totally unrelated to the robbery. They spoke to a male who when they said they were police, hung up. Seconds later they were seen on the fire escape."

Wells, who still had his makeshift balaclava, was arrested as he hid in nearby bushes – with broken cash boxes and cigarette packets strewn around him, Mr Walker said.

Judge James O'Mahony told them: "I wonder if you ever stop thinking about yourselves for a second and think what it must have been like to have been in that shop facing three masked men each carrying an axe.

"The fact it was a crude robbery and the fact there were three of you all armed just increases the terror experienced by the staff, who were just doing their job and will probably never forget this experience forever."